OHIO--Cuyahoga County Police Leaders Call After-school Programs “Slam Dunk” Against Crime
Mar 27th 2010
CLEVELAND, OHIO (March 27, 2010) -- With March Madness sweeping the Buckeye State, Cleveland Chief of Police Michael McGrath and other law enforcement leaders visited a basketball tournament organized by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Ohio, MyCom and the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland, to emphasize their support for after-school programs as an effective way to reduce crime.
Chief McGrath took time out to coach and officiate teens competing in a basketball tournament held at the Boys and Girls Club on Broadway Avenue. Cleveland’s top cop and other area police leaders asked state officials to restore $2 million in state funding for after-school programs, which have been cut significantly, in the 2010-2011 budget. They said that after-school programs help reduce juvenile crime by offering children constructive learning environments outside of school.
“When the school day ends, the risk of crime soars. The prime time for juvenile crime is between the hours of 3 and 6 p.m. when many school-age children are unsupervised, Chief McGrath said. “That’s why it’s critical to bring together our community and kids to provide a positive, safe, and mentoring environment that programs like the Boys & Girls Club can offer.”
Also participating in the event were Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) Police Chief Andres Gonzales, Cleveland Police Commander Ellis Johnson, Jr., Cleveland Police Commander Deon McCauley, Gates Mills Chief of Police Steve Szeredy, Bedford Police Officer Keith Collins, and CMHA CEO and Safety Director George Phillips-Olivier.
“It’s my job to make sure that Cleveland’s public housing developments are a safe place to live. Research indicates that after-school programs are a slam dunk in fighting crime. I hope Ohio can restore some investment in after-school programs,” Chief Gonzales said.
One study compared five public housing developments that had Boys & Girls Club after-school programs to five that did not. The study found that the developments without Boys and Girls Clubs experienced 50 percent more vandalism and 37 percent more drug activity than the housing developments with Boys and Girls Clubs.
Despite the proven benefits of after-school programs, data from the Afterschool Alliance show that three in ten Ohio children of working families are unsupervised in the afternoon. Because of a lack of funding, only six percent of Ohio children from working families can attend after-school programs.
Youth enrolled in the program said that after-school opportunities help them avoid situations that get them in trouble. "I feel like being at The Boys & Girls Clubs keeps you off the street,” said Dajah Spence. “There is always someone you can talk to, especially when things get tough at home. It is more than a place to hang out. It is a family here.”
Spence is a 17-year-old participating in the after-school program. She will attend Bowling Green State University next fall.
The Cuyahoga County police leaders are members of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Ohio, a statewide anti-crime organization that supports policies that steer kids away from crime.
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